Wrapping up a three-day trip to the United Kingdom, United States President Donald Trump projected a united front with his counterpart, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on a variety of issues and emphasised the alliance between the two countries despite recent tensions.

Trump spoke to reporters alongside Starmer on Thursday, lauding the hospitality he received in Britain.

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For his part, Starmer declared the US and the UK “first partners” in trade, defence and technology.

In recent months, some European countries have been irked by Trump’s trade policies and his shaky commitment to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

But the warm welcome Trump received in the UK and his joint remarks with Starmer on Thursday reflected rock-solid ties between Washington and London, which officially left the European Union in 2020.

Here are some key takeaways from the Trump-Starmer presser:

Trump says Putin let him down

The US president again told reporters that he did not expect that resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine would be so difficult, and voiced disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I thought it would be easiest because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down. He’s really let me down,” Trump said.

For his part, Starmer underscored that the UK is leading a so-called coalition of the willing to help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion.

“We’ve discussed today how we can build our defences, further support Ukraine, and decisively increase the pressure on Putin to get him to agree to a peace deal that will last,” the UK prime minister.

‘One of the worst days in the history of humanity’

As Israel pushes ahead with its campaign of famine, mass killings, displacement and destruction in Gaza, Trump repeatedly invoked Hamas’s October 7 attack when addressing the crisis.

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Even when asked specifically about Israel’s systemic levelling of what remains of Gaza City, Trump went back to October 7.

“You do understand about October 7 – one of the worst days in the history of humanity,” he said.

Hamas and other Palestinian groups killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 captive during the attack nearly two years ago.

Since then, Israel has killed more than 65,140 Palestinians in a campaign that United Nations investigators, academics and leading rights groups have described as a genocide.

Trump said one of his “few disagreements” with Starmer is over the UK’s pledge to recognise a Palestinian state.

But the UK prime minister earned a literal pat on the back from the US as he condemned Hamas.

Neither leader denounced Israeli policies against Palestinians.

Trump, who has been saying for months that an end to the war in Gaza could be close, reiterated that assertion.

“We’re working very hard on Israel and Gaza,” he said. “All that’s happening over there [is] complex, but it’s going to get done. It’ll all get done right.”

US president praises NATO

Long seen as a sceptic of the NATO military alliance, Trump lauded the bloc and its chief, Mark Rutte, for stepping up military spending.

“I want to thank NATO and our wonderful head of NATO, who’s really worked very hard – Mark – for the job they’ve done,” Trump said.

He voiced appreciation for the bloc’s pledge to increase military spending by its members to five percent of their respective gross domestic product (GDP).

“We’re sending a lot of weapons to NATO,” Trump said. “NATO is paying for those weapons in full, but we’re sending them, and we’re doing a great job at getting them what they need, and we appreciate the fact that they’re taken care of.”

NATO has a mutual defence treaty, meaning an attack on any member is considered an attack on all.

Return to Bagram

The US president again criticised the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan in 2021 under his predecessor, former US President Joe Biden.

But while repeating his criticism of the withdrawal this time, he hinted at a possible deal with the Taliban for the US military to return to the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.

“We’re trying to get it back, by the way,” Trump said of the base.

“OK, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is – as you know – it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”

The US has not recognised the Taliban government that came into power after the US military withdrawal from the country.

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Since the Taliban takeover, Washington has also imposed heavy sanctions against Kabul.

‘Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person’

Trump addressed the sacking of American TV host Jimmy Kimmel by ABC, which came after suggestions by the head of the federal broadcasting regulator that authorities may take action against the network over comments by the comedian.

Kimmel had accused conservatives of using the killing of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk “to score political points” and suggested that the killer is a Trump supporter.

But Utah Governor Spencer Cox said that the suspected shooter, who has been charged with aggravated murder, has “leftist ideology”.

The termination of Kimmel – part of a broader push by Republican officials to fire people over Kirk-related comments – has raised concerns over curbing free speech in the US.

But Trump claimed that Kimmel was sacked due to low viewership.

“Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else, and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person,” the US president said.

“They should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”